Swivel attachment plug



INVENTOR W. A. PHILLIPS SWIVEL ATTACHMENT PLUG Filed Oct. 3l.

ATTO RNEY pril 29 1924o WITNESS:

Patentes am. ze, ieee.

@MTE

WILBER A. PHILLIPS, 0F MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

SWIVEL ATTACHMENT PLUG.

Application led October 31, 1921. Serial No. 511,956.

To all who/m, t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WILBER A. PHILLIPS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan,have invented new and useful Improvements in Swivel Attachment Plugs, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electrical connectors, particularly to devicesfor connecting current conducting wires with a socket, and has for itsobject the provision of a novel connector plug which is so constructedthat there is a rotary or swiveling action permitting freedom ofmovement so that the continuity of the current will beinsured, thedevice being further so formed that engagement and disengagement may bereadily effected at the will of the operator with the utmost ease.

Another object is the provision of a connector of this character inwhich screwing into the socket will be facilitated owing to the lengthof the device, another advantage being that the device may be screwed inwithout removing a shade or globe on the socket.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich will be very simple and inexpensive in manufacture, easy toinstall and use, highly efficient in operation, durable in service and ageneral improvement in the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich,

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through my device assembled,and

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings I have shown my device ascomprising a male member 10 which is formed as a suitably shaped blockor body of insulating material provided externally with the usual screwthreaded shell 11 which constitutes the outer contact member and whichis provided with an integral extension 12 formed as a ring member. Thismember 10 is of course designed to be screwed into the usual socket, notshown, and is provided with a central contact member 14 which is formedwith a reduced end 15 as clearly shown( The outer or female membercomprises a shell 16 of insulating material which has its open enddesigned for engagement externally upon the ring member 13, as clearlyshown, and which has its other end closed except for a central hole 17through which extends a tube 18 of insulating material designedto-receive the central contact member 14 of the male member. Securedexternally upon the tube 18 is a metal ring 19 carrying or formed 4withspring contacts 19a which are spaced at equal intervals about theperiphery and which have their ends adapted for engagement against themner periphery of the ring member 13. Associated with one of thesespring contacts 19a is a suitable binding screw 20 by means of which acurrent carrying wire may .be connected to the device, it being notedthat the tube 18 is formed with an opening 18b for the passage of such awire.

Secured within the tubular member 18 is a metal ring 21 which carries anextension 22 into which is screwed a binding screw 23 for the purpose ofconnecting the other current carrying wire. The member 18 is providedwith lan opening 182L permitting access to this screw. Formed or securedupon this ring 21 are curved spring conta'cts 24 which are designed toengage against the outside of the central contact member 14 as clearlyshown whereby to complete the circuit.

In the use of the device it will be seen that the male member is securedinto an ordinary socket in the usual manner and the female member isthen placed in position by slipping onto the male member with the springcontacts 19 engaging the inner periphery of the ring 13 and with thespring contacts 24 engaging the outer periphery of the central contactmember 14. In this way it will be seen that current passing from thesocket will be transmitted through whatever wires are connected with thebinding screws 20 and 23. It will also be observed that the device iseasily assembled or disassembled merely by pushing the parts togetherinstead of there being a screwing action as is ordinarily the case. Itwill also be observed that the device is so constructed as to eliminatethe small pins or metal strips which are commonly provided in devices ofthis character and it will consequently be seen that my structure ismuch stronger and should have a much longer life in every Q Leeaaaa way.The most important feature is the fact that there is a swivclling actionbetween the parts which will permit rotary action and positively preventtwisting of Wires leading to a portable appliance such as a drill,vacuum cleaner or the like.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction and arran ement of parts aswill not depart from te spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim;

1. A connector of the character described comprising a male memberconsisting of a body of' insulating material carrying a central contactprojecting therebeyond, a metallic shell secured externally upon saidbody and adapted for engagement Within a socket, said shell projectingbeyond the body to define a contact ring, and a female member consistingof an outer shell of insulating material adapted to receive theprojecting portion of said metallic shell,said female member` furtherincluding a tube of insulating material extending centrallytherethrough, a plurality of curved contact lingers within said tubeadapted to frictionally engage said central contact, one of said fingersbeing prolonged and provided with a binding screw, and a plurality ofcurved contact lingers mounted externally uponthe tube and adapted tofrictionally engage within the projecting portion of said metallicshell.

2. A connector of the character described comprising a male memberconsisting of a body of insulating materialA carrying a central contactprojecting therebeyond, a metallic shell secured vexternally upon saidbody and adapted for engagementI Within a socket, said shell projectingbeyond the body to define a contact ring, and a female member consistingof an outer shell of insulating material adapted; to receive theprojecting portion of said metallic shell, said female member furtherincluding a tube of insulating material extending centrallytherethrough, a. plurality of curved contact fingers Within said tubeadapted to frictionally engage said central contact, one of said lingersbeingprolonged and provided with a binding screw, and a plurality ofcurved contact fingers mounted externally upon the tube and adapted tofrictionally engage within the projecting portion of said metallicshell, said second named contact fingers projecting from a bandencircling` the tube, and a lug on said band carrying a binding screw,said tube being provided Within the insulating shell Withopeningsopposite said binding screws.

In testimony whereof I aihx my signature.

WILBER A. PHILLIPS.

